Finding an apartment on Long Island to match your budget

Long Island’s rental market is eclectic, to say the least. In a recent search of MLSLI.com, there were 1,447 available rentals across Nassau and Suffolk counties, which ran the gamut from $675 a month for a tiny studio in a house to $27,500 a month for a sprawling eight-bedroom manse on a four-acre estate.

But a number of communities have an ample supply of rentals that suit more conventional wish lists — say, a unit in an ordinary apartment complex or a single-family home in a neighborhood where whole-house rentals are not unusual.

In this installment of Newsday’s Best Places to Live series, we highlight a sampling of great communities that have a sizable number of available rentals for a variety of budgets, ranging from entry-level to luxury.

$1,800 rent: Try Patchogue

Photo Credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz

There were nine rentals in Patchogue priced below $1,800 a month in a recent search of MLSLI.com. The least expensive was a one-bedroom apartment in a house priced at $1,400 a month.

A long-term redevelopment effort in Patchogue has given rise to a growing downtown scene with shopping, dining, nightlife, a performing arts center and an ever-expanding list of new spots to discover. Recent additions include a cupcake shop and an oyster bar. The village is also home to a number of outdoor events and street festivals, including the Great South Bay Music Festival at Shorefront Park in Patchogue.

Overall, there were 15 rentals in Patchogue, ranging up to $2,600 for a two-bedroom condo with two full bathrooms in a recent search.

Photo Credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz

A one-bedroom upper-level apartment with a private entry was recently listed for $1,660 a month in this 89-unit Fairfield Apartments complex. One-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments here range in price from $1,640 to $2,270. Call for availability, 631-475-8922.

$2,400 rent: Try Sayville

Photo Credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz

Sayville had 12 rentals available for $2,400 or less in a recent search of MLSLI.com. The least expensive was a one-bedroom apartment in a house to $1,600.

Sayville is characterized by timeless Main Street charm and residential neighborhoods dotted with turn-of-the-century homes. Historic architecture of note includes the circa-1785 Edwards Homestead and the 19th century Meadow Croft, the former John E. Roosevelt estate. Residents of this seaside hamlet on the South Shore make the most of the waterfront at nearby beaches, marinas and a ferry to Fire Island.

Overall, there were 25 rentals in Sayville, including apartment complex units, duplexes, apartments in houses and whole-house rentals. Monthly rents ranged up to $3,200 to rent a three-bedroom ranch.

Photo Credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz

A one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit was recently listed for $2,115 at Fairfield Waterside at Sayville, a bayfront complex with a private residents’ beach and views of Great South Bay. Units range from studios to three bedrooms. Contact Fairfield Properties, 631-567-6333.

$3,000 rent: Try Port Washington

Photo Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.

This North Shore community had 40 rentals available for $3,000 or less. The least expensive rental was $1,750 for a one-bedroom unit in an apartment complex.

Yacht clubs, restaurants and cultural arts venues set the scene in this North Shore hamlet.

Residents can attend author talks, art exhibits and more at Dolphin Bookshop & Cafe, take in a show at Landmark on Main Street, a nonprofit community center with a 425-seat theater, or enjoy the waterfront at Town Dock Park, a Town of North Hempstead park with a fishing pier on Manhasset Bay.

Overall, there were 61 rentals listed in Port Washington, ranging in price up to $5,650 for a two-bedroom unit in a newly constructed complex with balcony views of Manhasset Bay.

Photo Credit: Danielle Finkelstein

A two-bedroom, one-bathroom unit was recently listed for $2,982 a month on MLSLI.com in the waterfront Dolphin Green Apartments complex, which has a private dock for residents. Contact Wendy Sanders of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 516-466-2100.

$3,600 rent: Try Huntington

Photo Credit: Danielle Finkelstein

Huntington had 19 rentals available for $3,600 or less in a recent search of MLSLI.com. The least expensive rental was $1,600 for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment.

Huntington is popular for its diverse housing options, access to the waterfront and a walkable downtown brimming with restaurants, bars and shops — an area that locals call Huntington Village, though it’s unincorporated. “I always say it’s like bringing Manhattan to Huntington,” says JoAnn Aronson of Signature Premier Properties.

Overall, there were 23 rentals in Huntington. The most expensive was a three-bedroom, 2½-bathroom town house asking $5,500 a month.

Pictured: The new Park Place apartment building in Huntington.

Photo Credit: Danielle Finkelstein

A two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit was listed for $3,500, and a two-bedroom, one-bathroom unit was listed for $3,400 in this 14-unit Park Place complex in a recent search of MLSLI. The rent includes the use of an on-site gym, a private parking lot and a rooftop lounge. Contact Alison DeRosa of Custom Realty Services Inc., 516-384-4756.

The sky is the limit: Manhasset

Photo Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.

For folks for whom a $3,600 rental simply won’t do, there are 362 year-round rentals priced higher than that across Nassau and Suffolk counties. In Manhasset, 27 of the 32 available rentals cost more than $3,600 a month.

This North Shore hamlet offers renters of means the enviable combination of an idyllic neighborhood aesthetic, a convenient city commute and upscale shopping galore. Among the shops and restaurants that give Plandome Road its downtown appeal, a stately town hall building sits cater-cornered from a postcard-pretty park, complete with gazebo. On Northern Boulevard, a stretch of luxury retailers known as the Miracle Mile includes the Americana Manhasset shopping mall.

Overall, Manhasset rents ranged from $1,950 for a one-bedroom apartment above a shop to $12,000 for a five-bedroom 5,000-square-foot Colonial with five bedrooms.

Photo Credit: Daniel Gale Sotheby's International

Three units were available for rent in the Estates II condo community in a recent search of MLSLI.com, including a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit listed with Anthony Fotopoulos Herrschaft of Daniel Gale Associates (347-366-7151) for $6,500 (also for sale for $1.4 million). In addition to individual landlords’ requirements, such as credit and background checks and security deposits, tenants in this community must be approved by the condo manager, and they must purchase rental insurance.